US security warning triggers election row

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A STATE department security alert advising Americans of possible pre-election violence in Italy set off a storm of controversy yesterday, with the centre-left opposition saying it created a climate of fear.

In a travel advisory for its citizens, the US cited the possible threat of an al-Qaeda attack before the April 9-10 elections and pointed to the risk of domestic rallies turning violent after leftist demonstrators rioted in Milan this month. A nail bomb injured police and at least forty people were arrested.

Romano Prodi, leader of the centre-left alliance, who has been accused of being soft on terrorism, angrily